


the world through your eyes

by lavendrlies



Series: Danganronpa V3 : Chaotic Order [3]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Character Study, Falling In Love, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Non-Incestuous Shinguji Korekiyo, One Shot, Possibly Unrequited Love, Side Story, whether it’s requited or not is never confirmed so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:40:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26662324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavendrlies/pseuds/lavendrlies
Summary: Shinguuji Korekiyo has long since learnt that people often act differently around him than they do others. He has learnt to not expect much connection, much less from an enviroment that festers distrust.It was because of this that he was unprepared for the approach of one Amami Rantaro.-Alternatively: A collection of conversations over breakfast, and a few outliers. Follows events up to TIAoLaD chapter 2.5.
Relationships: Amami Rantaro & Saihara Shuichi, Amami Rantaro & Shinguji Korekiyo, Amami Rantaro/Shinguji Korekiyo
Series: Danganronpa V3 : Chaotic Order [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1820293
Comments: 3
Kudos: 54
Collections: Completed stories I've read





	the world through your eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome!! This is a side story that follows events up to and including chapter 2.5 of The Intertwined Arts of Leadership and Deception. I would heavily suggest reading the main story, at least up to that point, because there will be heavy references to the main plot throughout this one shot.
> 
> Otherwise, enjoy!

Shinguuji was more than aware of the fact that he was strange.

Weird, creepy, freak - he had been called them all before. He had always known it hadn't quite been his fault, because his oddities were out of being a victim to the situation, but when he was younger, it used to bother him. It was why he used to watch people so closely, hoping to find the missing piece of the puzzle that made him different. 

He had long since abandoned the idea of fixing something that never had the time to be built.

Now, he found comfort in watching people instead. Being able to observe how others behave and place beauty in everything anyone else would deem as ugly while distancing himself from his own emotions and troubling thoughts; by taking on an almost clinical approach to everything, he felt comfortable. It certainly helped that he genuinely enjoyed learning about people. His passion for anthropology, he was sure, would have bloomed regardless of circumstance.

The only good thing about their current situation was that as it was already odd, and because most of his classmates were admittedly a bit eccentric themselves, they didn't point out his own eccentricities. At least, certainly not as much as people usually did. It was ironic, that such kinship could be felt in such a dire situation, but that was simply how humans cope with disasters such as this. They seeked comfort, and companionship.

Shinguuji watched groups form, friendships begin to bloom within the first few hours of being trapped in this hellish dome. Loneliness or not, he refused to get involved. He was a mere observer, and he liked it that way. 

By the next morning, that plan had already gone up in flames.

Amami sat down beside him as Tojo bustled around the kitchen, preparing an already promised breakfast. Shinguuji hadn't thought much of it, giving him a small nod of acknowledgement and polite good morning before turning his attention to the way Gonta cheerfully led a conversation between him and a mildly amused Hoshi. His attention was promptly snatched away again when not a minute later, Amami spoke up again.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?"

Shinguuji glanced over at him, an unnerving feeling coiling in his gut that he didn't try to identify. He was instantly suspicious, certain that the question would be about something too personal - though Ouma had complimented his eyepatch, he was surprised nobody had pestered him for the meaning behind it yet. 

But Amami seemed relaxed. His smile was lazy, and while his eyes were alight with curiosity, there wasn't anything outstandingly malicious about it. He had spoken quietly, giving an illusion of privacy even as more of their companions entered the room. If anything, his reclined position and contrary attentive expression felt like a comfort in itself. 

Shinguuji had every right to turn down the question, yet out of masochistic curiosity, he instead raised an eyebrow. "Indeed you may."

"You're the Ultimate Anthropologist, right? What kind do you specialise in?"

Amami asked it remarkably casually, as if Shinguuji's world hadn't tilted on its axis at the question. To be asked a non-invasive question was one thing, but being asked such a specific thing about his passion with genuine curiosity behind it was surreal to him. He was so stunned that it took a moment to collect himself enough to speak, even though he was sure this shock didn't bleed into his expression much. "Yes, I specialise in cultural anthropology. Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious, I guess." Amami chuckled, a little awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I travel quite a lot, and while I've never seriously looked into it, I always found the differences between cultures interesting. You must travel a lot too, huh?"

"Of course. Field work is an essential part of studying anthropology, to be able to hear accounts or witness lifestyles first hand. However, it's not only the differences, but the similarities between cultures that intrigue me." He couldn't help but correct him, folding his hands together on the table. Now that he had a listening ear, he couldn't help but continue talking. "Though, on another note, I do wonder why you travel as much as you say."

Amami didn't immediately respond, distracted by something over Shinguuji's shoulder. He smiled lightly, and a quick glance revealed that his attention had been distracted by Tojo, who was approaching with two bowls of rice. She handed one to him, which he accepted with gratitude, before handing the other to Amami. 

Amami waited until she returned to the kitchen to speak, setting the bowl down and mostly ignoring it. "My dad's got some business connections, so I travel on behalf of him. It's not all work, though. I get to sightsee and experience the country too, which is nice."

Shinguuji picked up his chopsticks, poking at his rice idly as he let out a hum to show he was listening. "That does sound rather pleasant. What is the range of your travels?"

He realised belatedly that the word choice might be a bit vague, but didn't need to correct himself, because Amami answered before he had the chance, leaning back in his seat. "Well, I've been all over the world. Partly because of my dad and partly because of my own enjoyment. If you're already passing by, you might as well stop and take a look, you know?"

"I see." Shinguuji murmured, slightly surprised by the answer. He took a bite of rice, for something to do rather than any actual hunger. "I admit, I'm jealous of that opportunity. My travels have been mostly contained around the nation."

Amami nodded in understanding, leaning forward to pick up his chopsticks and begin eating too. "I mean, it helps that my dad's got a bit of money to waste." His lips quirked into a smile. "But hey, hopefully one day you'll be able to go further. There are some things you just have to see for yourself, and you sound like someone who appreciates that."

There was a flaw in that wish, but Shinguuji was content to leave it unsaid. Instead, he allowed a small smile in return. "That is certainly a goal of mine." He wanted to say more, beginning to grow comfortable in the conversation, but his attention was quickly shaken by a snippet of the group's main conversation catching his attention.

"You can't be so sure of that." He said, raising his voice to match the level of the conversation, effectively ending his conversation with Amami. For once, it wasn't of a want to do so, but instead due to an urge to correct Kiibo's naivete. "When in a desperate situation like this, humans can resort to unthinkable things in order to gain a higher chance of survival."

Shinguuji didn't realise it at the time, but Amami's approach towards him weakened his defenses enough that he was no longer just an observer of the situation. 

After all, his defenses always relied on the fact that nobody would try to get close to him on a personal level. 

* * *

The next morning, Shinguuji found Amami slipping into the seat next to him once again. He greeted him with a good morning, and Shinguuji returned it, yet found that any possible conversation ended there.

This wasn't particularly abnormal for conversations he found himself in, so he wasn't sure why his mouth began moving on its own accord a few moments later. "The atmosphere is far more relaxed since our captor's demise yesterday. It's fascinating; how people will cling to any sort of hope as soon as it presents itself and become complacent as soon as possible."

"You don't sound too convinced." Amami said with mild amusement in his voice, seemingly unsurprised by the prompted conversation.

There was something in his eyes that was sharper than it had been the previous morning, when their conversation had been purely pleasantries and icebreakers. Shinguuji wasn't particularly bothered by this change, and therefore responded with a wry smile like he hadn't noticed. "My apologies. I don't mean to taint your positivity- unless, of course, your opinion on the matter is more aligned to my own."

"A little hope is always healthy." Amami hummed lightly, avoiding the question smoothly enough that Shinguuji felt no inclination to press. He smiled suddenly, leaning back in his chair. "Let's not talk about that, though. You said you travelled, right? Where did you go to last?"

Shinguuji decided to indulge his diversion, because it was a topic that he was comfortable, if not excited, to talk about. He would never admit that it was excitement though, and did his best to keep his explanation professional. "If I remember correctly, my last trip was a long due visit to the town of Tono. Do you know anything about it?"

"I can't say I do." He awkwardly chuckled, though there was a look of contemplation ghosting over his face. Something must have clicked, because he clicked his fingers together. "Wait, Tono. That's the place where that legendary kappa is said to live, right?"

"Yes, the kappa is the most commonly known legend of Tono." Shinguuji nodded, and while that wasn't a lie, he was still pleasantly surprised by that fact that Amami knew the kappa belonged to Tono, in particular. "However, it's not merely the kappa. Tono is known as the City of Folklore - it's quite surprising that it took me this long to see it, but it has become quite the tourist attraction, and I didn't want to see it when it was too crowded."

"I guess that makes sense." Amami murmured, gaze briefly washing over the rest of the room before returning to him with rapt attention, cracking a grin. "City of Folklore, huh? That's quite the title."

Again, his sincere interest in what Shinguuji had to say felt odd, but it didn't surprise him in the same way it had yesterday. It certainly wasn't enough to stop him from beginning an explanation with eagerness he didn't allow into his voice. "Indeed. One of Japan's most famous folklorists, Yanagita Kunio, collected the oral traditions and legends of the town and released them in an anthology titled as Tales of Tono in 1912. The town earned its title because of that book, as well as the preservation of its mystic scenery."

Amami nodded with a hum, clearly listening, but didn't make any comments, so Shinguuji continued. "There are also several folk villages within the area that are delightful to visit, though are slightly more commercialized than I would have liked. Something I personally enjoyed seeing was the Gohyaku Rakan."

"I'm afraid I've never heard of that either." Amami laughed lightly, running a hand through his wavy hair. 

"I'm not surprised, considering you didn't know much about Tono itself." He tried to keep his tone from sounding accusatory, well aware that the words alone were exactly that. He didn't want to drive Amami away from conversation with him, whether he accepted that fact or not. 

"Yeah," He huffed out another laugh, hand dropping from his hair. "But rakan, you said? Those are Buddhists, right?"

"That's correct." Shinguuji affirmed, once again impressed by Amami's scraps of knowledge. Perhaps he should stop being surprised, considering the boy was supposedly more well travelled than him. He clasped his hands together on the table, continuing his explanation with renewed passion. "Rakan are those in Buddhism that have achieved nirvana. The Gohyaku Rakan are a rather extensive collection of stone carvings depicting these disciples. They were created two hundred years ago, in the hopes of pacifying the spirits of the victims of a widespread famine within the area."

"Interesting." Amami murmured, finger propping up his chin as he looked down at the table with slightly furrowed brows. He looked up, quickly dismissing his thoughtful expression with a playful raised of his eyebrow. "Anything else you wanna tell me about Tono? It's nice to listen to you talk about anthropology."

Shinguuji ignored the compliment altogether, instead letting out a noise of thought to fill the space. "No, I do believe that's all." He hesitated, before adding slowly. "Unless you'd be willing to humour me with your own travel tales?"

Amami grinned, eyes glittering with friendliness that was foreign to someone like Shinguuji. He couldn't say it was horrible, because that would be a blatant lie. "I don't see why not. Would you be more interested in some of my visits to South America or Europe?"

* * *

He found out about Amami's sister a few hours later, over a cup of tea and after a slip of the tongue regarding his own sister. Nothing that raised all too much suspicion, or otherwise suggested any internal turmoil, but a slip of the tongue nonetheless.

Either way, no matter how it came about, Shinguuji found himself privy to Amami's nostalgic recollection of a sister two years his junior. He learnt her favourite hobbies, her annoying habits and how her favourite place they had ever visited had been a fishing village on the coast of Colombia, all within a half hour. The fondness was palpable in Amami's words, his actions, his expression, and Shinguuji might have even dared to say he was jealous of him. The pure familial love that Amami described was such a far cry from whatever he had experienced himself. 

He kept his personal feelings to himself, but even so, he couldn't help some bitterness seeping into his words when Amami finally passed the topic of sisters onto him. "I'm afraid my sister and I weren't nearly as close as you and your own. There isn't much I could say about her."

The look in Amami's eyes told him that he knew something was wrong, but he didn't try to press him to elaborate on his reasons for such, like Shinguuji might have thought others would. Instead, he offered a smile tinted with sadness but not quite pity as he nursed his cup of tea. "Right, sorry about that. I forget that most people aren't as close to their siblings like I am."

Shinguuji appreciated the casual reaction and dared to consider that maybe, maybe he could be less guarded, less clinical around  _ one _ person.

(Consider, as if he had any say in the matter. 

But be it because of Amami or the situation, Shinguuji had still softened enough to involve himself in Angie's grief the morning afterwards without any real need to. Enough to try and offer comfort, despite being too used to having a clinical eye to be of much.)

* * *

All things considered, Shinguuji felt like they all processed the trial and subsequent execution surprisingly well.

He had long since adopted insensitivity to these sorts of things for security, but he found that most of his classmates seemed to be mostly back to normal by the next morning, whether that was through denial or acceptance. There were a few exceptions, such as Angie and Chabashira, but anomalies were common in group assessments. 

An anomaly that he hadn't been expecting was Amami. 

That wasn't to say that he thought Amami would be  _ comfortable _ with the events that transpired the day before - far from it. But he had always shown himself to be calm and collected in the face of any danger, so Shinguuji had come to the logical conclusion that he would take this unfortunate event in stride too.

However, upon Amami's arrival and his subsequent lack of engagement in conversation, Shinguuji realised this wasn't the case.

He was more subdued, his presence easily ignorable and while he answered to people out of politeness, his answers were short and somewhat distracted. The subversion of expectations was fascinating - or, at least, it would be if Shinguuji didn't feel so inexplicably frustrated by it.

How ironic it was, that his beloved position as an outside observer no longer brought him unconditional comfort. 

He wasn't willing to spark individual conversation with anyone though, so he instead watched his classmates filter in and began talking amongst themselves. He ate slowly, near mechanically as something simmered in his gut. For all his love of analysis of human behaviour, he didn't particularly like the idea of analysing himself. There was too much personal bias there.

Besides, Amami processing the recent deaths was a very human reaction, so there was no reason for him to dwell on it. He was sure that in due time, he would recover enough to hold another conversation with him.

* * *

In the end, his assumption wasn't  _ wrong. _

The next morning arrived and, lo and behold, Amami sat down beside him as if he had never acted differently to begin with. Despite the added complication of the motive videos, he seemed to react to the added trouble like Shinguuji had initially thought he'd react to the recent deaths - that is to say, calmly taking it in stride.

"So what do you think of it?" He asked quietly with a lazy smile, arms folded loosely over his chest as he eyed him curiously.

Shinguuji found the sudden recovery strange, but he was filled with too much uncharacteristic relief at the renewed connection to question it. Instead, he sighed as he clasped his hands together. Amami hadn't specified what he was talking about, but it was easy to guess. "The motive videos? It's a rather interesting development, but similarly a very concerning one."

"Well, you're not wrong." Amami chuckled, the sound slightly awkward as he slumped in his seat. His gaze was occupied with idly scanning the room for a few seconds of silence before flickering up to meet his. "Guess we should've expected it though, huh? Getting a motive a couple days ago that led to a successful murder would probably encourage further motives."

"I'd argue that, perhaps, we would have continued to receive motives regardless of if the first worked or not." Shinguuji grimly muttered, covering his mouth with his hand to further quiet his claim, not wanting unwanted ears to hear him lest it causes an even bigger fuss. "Just because one motive didn't goad anyone into murder doesn't mean another won't."

"Yeah." Amami trailed off, fidgeting with the rings adorning his fingers before shaking his head dismissively, a faint smile surfacing on his face. "But we should wait until everyone gets here to talk about all that. For now, would you wanna hear about any more of my destinations?"

Shinguuji still found it strange that someone would want to hold conversation with him to the point of sharing stories. Usually, he was the one who padded conversations with tales, not the other way round. Regardless, he was interested, so he offered a thin smile. "I believe you mentioned a thrilling adventure in Portugal?"

"Oh, I remember. I did, didn't I?" Amami hummed, thinking for a moment before his expression dubious. "I dunno. It's a pretty complicated one, and I'm sure we're going to have another group discussion any minute."

Shinguuji pressed his lips together in a display of something that certainly wasn't disappointment, which prompted a snort from his conversation partner. "Well, there's no harm in starting your story now and finishing it at a later date, when we have some free time."

It seemed like Amami didn't need much convincing, because this argument was enough for him to shrug and start.

* * *

Perhaps Shinguuji should have asked Amami about how he was feeling or if anything was wrong when he had the chance, but emotional availability wasn't exactly something he was experienced with.

It seemed that his return to normalcy was a fleeting thing, as while he smiled and greeted him again that morning, he didn't return to the story he had been telling. He acted as if subdued, simply not to the extent as two days ago. And it couldn't have been Shinguuji that was the issue, because Amami didn't even choose to talk to the others. Instead, he left the dining hall as soon as it became clear that no pressing group discussions would be taking place with little fanfare or explanation.

Isolation was, he supposed, a common way to deal with grief - though that wouldn't explain his sudden calm yesterday - but he quickly discovered that wasn't the case when he tried to seek him out later in the day. Gonta had graciously invited him to a tea party of sorts and, considering that people tended to enjoy distractions in times of peril, Shinguuji had thought to extend the invitation to Amami, with Gonta's humble permission.

("Amami-kun, I've been meaning to ask you. Would you have time this afternoon to attend a tea party Gonta-kun is hosting with me?"

"Sorry, I promised to spend the day with Saihara-kun. We'll talk later, okay?")

Shinguuji had initially, and admittedly still did, write off Amami's change in behaviour as him coming to terms with the reality of the situation, but even if that were the case, that didn't explain his sudden closeness with Saihara.

He was well aware that his way of comforting others was lackluster and really only worked on certain people, but surely, Saihara was no different in that regard.

No, he was certain there was an ulterior motive to their recent bonding.

The only issue was Shinguuji couldn't, for the life of him, figure it out.

Unveiling secrets weren't exactly his forte. The way he approached anthropology mostly consisted of willingly given statements and- yes, the uncovering of secrets, but only after the holders of such were long since deceased. He had always thought some secrets were meant to be kept, and he of all people understood that they shouldn't be torn open if they weren't shared willingly.

Then again, he had never been close enough to feel concerned for another before, so perhaps that stance was an easy one to keep.

(Perhaps 'concern' was the wrong word to use. Whether he was kidding himself or not, he had yet to admit any actual care towards Amami.)

Either way, he could do nothing except examine the situation was it continued onwards with suspicious eyes.

* * *

Breakfast the next day didn't leave much room for casual conversation on account of the fact that they were gathered under Ouma's urgent decree and the subsequent tension, despite ultimately reaching a unanimous decision. Even if it did, Shinguuji had been seated away from Amami due to unlucky timing anyway, so they couldn't have spoken regardless. 

In the end, their next conversation had been a fleeting and wholly pathetic, as he caught Amami loosely by the arm in the entrance hall. Amami seemed to have been returning back to his dorm, and while it didn't linger or show in his voice, there was something akin to annoyance in his gaze when he was stopped. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing at all," Shinguuji replied lightly, a slight falsehood because there was  _ something _ wrong, he just couldn't place it. "Can I not simply wish to talk to you? You are a wonderful conversational partner, you know."

Amami laughed softly, not sounding particularly sincere as his hands rested at his hips. "I'm flattered, but I'd prefer to be alone at the moment."

"Mhm, well," It wasn't a particularly incriminating statement by itself so Shinguuji couldn't say what compelled the words to spill from his lips. "You  _ are _ feeling alright, correct? You've been acting distracted recently."

"Of course." He didn't sound defensive, but Amami did give him an odd look as he inclined his head, clearly not expecting the question any more than Shinguuji himself had. "I just need some time alone to relax, that's all. Unwind after all this business with the motives."

That answer should have been more than enough, but it didn't satisfy him.

Still, Shinguuji wasn't going to push the issue. Amami did highlight another problem weighing on the forefront of his mind, more urgent to him personally - whatever did he plan to do in regards to the upcoming motive screening? Until that particular event passed, he didn't have time to worry about Amami.

"Isolation does do wonders for moods. But so does a bit of company, if you'd be willing to have dinner with me this evening?" Shinguuji offered in feeble compromise, again unsure as to why he felt the need to offer in the first place. 

Amami smiled tiredly at him, yet he was almost certain that it was genuine. "That does sound nice. If you can come and get me, then sure."

And after receiving a short nod of response, Amami left with a casual wave. He wasn't slow enough to let Shinguuji respond, and he couldn't help but wonder if he should have dealt with the situation differently. 

* * *

Shinguuji believed that there was some sort of existence past death. 

After all, every culture had some sort of legend or ritual that tied into that belief, so it was more comforting to think that the concept held some truth as opposed to the dismal opposite.

He believed this, so the sight before him shouldn't have shaken him to this degree. It should have soothed him, even, because his beliefs offered an idea of peace and freedom. Even if his beliefs didn't offer this, his scientific gaze should have protected him from anything emotional.

And yet, when he stumbled into the hall out of chance and spotted the body of Amami collapsed on the floor, with blood seeping out into a grotesque puddle around his head?

With their final, feeble conversation hanging over his mind?

Well, Shinguuji doesn't think he ever felt such intense, paralyzing grief before.

(He never did get to hear the ending of that misadventure in Portugal.)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! For the few people who are keeping track of the series, congratulations! You caught me while I'm technically still on hiatus
> 
> I'm actually almosy finishef writing the next update of TIAoLaD, so hopefully I'm not gonna be on official hiatus for much longer. But, while I am, I hope you enjoyed this morsel of content!
> 
> Amaguuji wasn't explored much in the main story because it was told through Ouma's perspective, and I see Amaguuji as a bond that develops rather privately at first, so I thought it was only fair to explore it in a one-shot. This also doubled as a fascinating character study into my rewritten Shinguuji, so this was a lot of fun to write!
> 
> His thoughts about Amami kind of toe the line between platonic and romantic. It's mostly because he's the only person to react that way to him, and be able to connect and understand the things he talked about because of his own experience in travel. It's interesting.
> 
> I don't know if you can tell, but writing different dynamics is fascinating to me.
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
